February 2020

Gear Diary’s Best of Toy Fair NYC 2020 Awards

I spent some quality time at the 2020 New York Toy Fair; while it may be a bit smaller than CES, it is no less overwhelming. There was so much to see that it was almost impossible to settle on this year’s ‘Best of’, but we persevered and made our selections. Here’s a look at our picks.


How to Season a Blue Carbon Steel Pan by Made In Cookware

Made In makes excellent cookware, as you could tell from our enthusiastic review. One of their more interesting products is the Carbon Steel line, which is made out of thin, light metal with great heat conductivity and retention that rivals cast iron without the weight. Check out my video below to see how to season your Carbon Steel.



LG V60 ThinQ 5G Evolves for Better Productivity and Entertainment

Folding displays may be the future, but that doesn’t mean the tech is quite ready for everyone’s use or that everyone will even want it or will want to pay for it. The LG V60 ThinQ 5G gives you a gorgeous metal and glass slab with excellent specs that can be turned into a dual-screen device when needed.


Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Makes Pretend Reality Even Better Than the Real World

Virtual reality has gone from sci-fi to living rooms, though sadly we aren’t yet at Holodecks. However, we’re getting closer, thanks to the innovations of companies like Qualcomm, which is rolling out the Snapdragon XR2 Platform. It may not sound exciting, but don’t let the dry name fool you — it’s a reference design for eXtended Reality, aka better virtual reality!


Huawei Mate Xs Hardware Is a Solution, but There’s Still a Problem

There’s a lot of buzz about folding displays right now; in the US, we have the OG Samsung Fold along with the new Samsung Z Flip and Motorola Razer flip-style phones from which to choose. Huawei dazzled us last year with the China-only Mate X. Today, Huawei has introduced its next-gen Mate Xs with almost worldwide availability.




Work Out without Standing with the Cubii Pro

We can all agree that movement is important. Unfortunately, if you have a desk job, it’s hard to keep your blood flowing. You can try a standing desk, which is still static. And most offices frown upon you sticking a treadmill under your desk. Enter Cubii Pro, which is the bottom half of an elliptical for under your desk or workspace.


Waterfield Announces Their New Bootcamp Gym Bag

Waterfield has been on a roll lately and released a number of excellent new products. A company that initially made carry solutions for tech, they have branched out in a huge way. A case in point is the new Waterfield Bootcamp Gym Bag. It is all Waterfield, and it looks great.


10,050mAh MyCharge Hub Turbo Is an All-You-Need All-in-One Battery Pack

Greg recently reviewed the 6,700mAh myCharge Hub Turbo portable battery pack. He describes it as the “Swiss Army Knife of Portable Battery life.” MyCharge recently sent Judie and me the 10,050mAh MyCharge Hub Turbo, and we are pleased to report that Greg was more than correct in his description and, perhaps, even a bit understated; it is a fantastic external battery.



From Pizza to Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner – Baking Steel Does it All

Everybody loves pizza, right? It’s a universal food. I love making pizza at home and have used a pizza stone in my oven for years without knowing that there was such a better performing alternative on the market. Baking Steel is a complete game-changer in the home pizza-making market; it helps make pizzeria-quality pizza, and much more, in your kitchen.


Know Who’s Knocking with the August View Video Doorbell

I’ve had a video doorbell for over three years. It’s great, but after three years it is on the way out. Thankfully, the August View Doorbell Cam arrived for review. And while I can’t install it quite yet (we are in the process of replacing our fence and will use it there), I set it up to test and am impressed.



A Review of the Dop and Dop Ring

Over the last month or so, my wife and I have been trying out a hands-free accessory simply called “the dop.” Designed for everything from content creation to taking that Facetime call when your hands are occupied, the dop resembles a PopSocket but with many more functions. The dop kit is a two-piece set of products that can be used in tandem to secure your device to any surface, including your own hands. Perfect for everything from makeup tutorials, you can mount the dop to a mirror without it moving, freeing up your hands so you can focus on showing…


Introducing the HomeVac S11 – Eufy’s First Stick Vacuum

Earlier this year at CES we reported that Anker’s subsidiary brand, Eufy, would be releasing a fleet of new vacuums to compete with the likes of Dyson, Roomba & Shark. The first to be released happens to be the HomeVac S11 Go & Homevac S11 Infinity, and we had the opportunity to check it out for ourselves, so let’s do it!


Samsung Unveils New Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra Flagship Lineup

Earlier today, we got the sad news that due to concerns over the Corona Virus, Mobile World Congress was canceled. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing great new hardware this spring. Samsung led the way at their Unpacked event, announcing the new Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra.



Become a Streaming Star with Logitech’s New StreamCam

Logitech has just announced their new $169.99 StreamCam. Described as, “the ultimate experience for streamers,” the new camera is small but does an amazing job capturing audio and video at a time when any individual with a computer can now be a content creator.


Greg’s Gone Vegan? A Review of Veestro’s Subscription Meal Plan

Most nights (and more often days) I dread cooking for myself. I’ve heard that meal plans can reduce the urge to spend money going out to restaurants, so when I found the opportunity to check out Veestro, a Vegan meal subscription plan, I was eager to see how it would fare for a person who’s never been a Vegan.